New report: Fracking industry spending big bucks in Congress

The good people at Common Cause are out with a powerful new report[1] this morning on the extent of the fracking industry’s skyrocketing political expenditures. This is from the report (“Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets in Congress”):

“From 2001 through June 2011, the fracking industry gave $20.5 million to current members of Congress and spend $276 million on lobbying.”

“Top recipients in North Carolina will include Sen. Richard Burr (R), Rep. Sue Myrick (R), and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R). Burr is the single-biggest recipient of fracking money among members of Congress from states where fracking is not currently allowed, and the 16th-biggest recipient overall.

Ten of the state’s 15 Congressional delegation (House and Senate members) have taken in more than $350,000 in fracking contributions during the last decade with 60% of those contributions directed to Senator Burr.”